9:36 “So today we are slaves! In the very land you gave to our ancestors to eat its fruit and to enjoy 1 its good things – we are slaves! 9:37 Its abundant produce goes to the kings you have placed over us due to our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they see fit, 2 and we are in great distress!
9:38 (10:1) 3 “Because of all of this we are entering into a binding covenant 4 in written form; 5 our leaders, our Levites, and our priests have affixed their names 6 on the sealed document.”
1 tn The expression “to enjoy” is not included in the Hebrew text, but has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
2 tn Heb “according to their desire.”
3 sn Beginning with 9:38, the verse numbers through 10:39 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 9:38 ET = 10:1 HT, 10:1 ET = 10:2 HT, 10:2 ET = 10:3 HT, etc., through 10:39 ET = 10:40 HT. Beginning with 11:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
4 tn Heb “we are cutting.”
5 tn Heb “and writing.”
6 tn Heb “our leaders, our Levites, and our priests on the sealed document.” The Hebrew text is elliptical here; the words “have affixed their names” are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons. Cf. v. 2.